It's official, Google and T-Mobile have launched the G1 smartphone running Android. The phone looks very much like the T-Mobile Sidekick to me. The G1 features a touchscreen that slides to reveal a real QWERTY keyboard. The photo application allows users to frame a shot and drop it on the devices home page.

The music player built into the phone links to Amazon. The device uses Chrome Lite for surfing the web and is 3G enabled. The worst news is that the phone will be SIM locked to T-Mobile, this will rule it out in many parts of the country. T-Mobile coverage in my area is shameful.

The G1 has instant downloads of applications and games like Pac Man, looks very App Store. Possibly the best news is the price, the G1 will retail for only $179. In addition to 3G, it will also feature integrated Wi-Fi. The phone is set to launch on October 22nd. Plans for the phone will be $25 with unlimited data and some messaging or $35 with unlimited data and messaging. The phone will launch in Europe in 2009.

Via Engadget